Monthly Archives: May 2016

Let’s have a little fun and discuss some of the more graphic, violent, sad, or just plain awkward moments that have plastered the Hulk history. Be it a passing meeting between spouses of a gruesome scene that nobody saw coming – this year I’ll have you squirming in your seat!

When the heroes were “reborn” the Hulk was the only hero split into both universes. A testament to the Hulk’s popularity? Well, no – but I like to think so anyways. The Hulk was both here and there – but there (being the new “reborn” universe) had a Hulk-less Bruce Banner. That is until… well, another accident. When the Hulk arrived on the scene it was up to Iron Man to stop this new Emerald Beast.

I’m not sure if they were just going for realism or they just felt the Marvel Universe did not have enough man meat showcased on the pages of their comics, either way, the Hulk first appeared on the scene ripped completely out of his clothes. Even worse, he then fought Stark… still nude… for pages! I have never had to fight a naked man – but I can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be asking him to tuck it away while we wrestle.

This is why I am glad I decided to get out of collecting new issues. Too much flash and no substance anymore. A new relaunch where all the books go back to #1 for a short and meaningless bump in sales. If Marvel is going to treat books as if they are seasons of a TV show I wish they would just say so rather than making these “huge” announcements and expecting people to keep getting hyped up for them. I don’t care anymore – and this is exactly why. Kudos to anyone out there who is excited for this – but for me I am just curious to see if they return the original Hulk or keep with Cho Hulk. Either way… blah…

If they are truly lookin to treat comics more like season in a television series they need to tell more story in their books. Each issue of the new stuff (yes, I’ve read an issue here and there in the shops) gives you a tiny fraction of a story that doesn’t seem to finish! It’s like getting 5 minutes of a show and waiting a month for the next 5 minutes rather than a full and great story which is, in part, only a snippet of a larger continuous tale.

Not sure if anyone else out there has been collecting the Super Hero Mashers but I have purchased at least every Hulk figure. The Red Hulk figure seems like a relic now as the Red Hulk has (thankfully) disappeared from the Marvel Universe. I am not delusional into thinking we’ve seen the last of the Red Hulk – but one can hope, can’t we?

Skaar is also somewhat a relic – although still a more acceptable one, to me anyways. The metal arm he comes with is a bit puzzling but at least there is a bad-ass axe that accompanies the figure. I also like how he is not subtitled with “son of Hulk” almost as if the everyday person is aware of the character.

I only have Whiplash for the bad-ass Planet Hulk head that is included. The beloved Hulk tale still reverberates through the whole Marvel franchise and the Mashers are no exception. Unfortunately, we are only delivered a head and not a whole figure.

The Robot Hulk (or Cyborg Hulk) pack is seriously fun. It almost looks like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pack with the pizza and humongous cheeseburger as accessories. Not that cyborgs need to eat but it helps with the illusion.

The other fun piece of this set is the inclusion of the A-Bomb – another relic from the Hulk’s dark period that is no longer a thing – but still made it into a molded piece of plastic.

Let’s have a little fun and discuss some of the more graphic, violent, sad, or just plain awkward moments that have plastered the Hulk history. Be it a passing meeting between spouses of a gruesome scene that nobody saw coming – this year I’ll have you squirming in your seat!

When the Defenders were brought together in 2005 it was because Dormammu had teamed up with his sister Umar for a deliciously evil plan to invade the Earth. Of course, Umar is a scantily clad sex-pot that likes to banter with her brother and try to wrangle in the beast within of powerful men. Thus her immediate noticing of the Hulk:

When she does snag the Jade Giant she immediately… grabs his attention. She is disappointed, of course, and gives us a diatribe that can only described as TMI. The Hulk, in all the years of his creation, had never really been thought of as a sexual being. Here, the thought is given to us from 0-60 and it never sat all that well with me… especially with that extremely satisfied look on Hulk’s face.

It’s amazing what you can find strolling around your local toy shop. Usually I don’t get lucky these days with new Hulk merchandise being so scarce. The focus right now is on Civil War and they didn’t seem to find a place for the Hulk to join in that slug-fest (not that I’m complaining – GREAT movie!) so we aren’t handed as much green treasures as we’d like. This ball was a welcome find then seeing as most of the merchandise you see are Avengers themed rather than solely featuring the Hulk. As an added bonus it seems they went the extra mile and featured either side with a different illustration.

Let’s have a little fun and discuss some of the more graphic, violent, sad, or just plain awkward moments that have plastered the Hulk history. Be it a passing meeting between spouses of a gruesome scene that nobody saw coming – this year I’ll have you squirming in your seat!

I can’t even describe what I was feeling when it happened. One of the best written issues of Hulk history that still burns when read. The final arc of Peter David’s 12 year writing career for the Hulk had the Hulk face down one of the biggest nightmares. His wife… the woman he loved from the day he first laid eyes on her… was dying.

Dying from gamma radiation poisoning. Not even the strength of the Hulk could not save her. Banner’s brilliant mind could not stop the inevitable. Betty was going to die. In an issue that simultaneously infuriated and saddened you, you watched the love of Bruce Banner’s life collapse and never get back up – and for months we were under the impression that it was the constant exposure to gamma radiation from the Hulk. It was hard to read – and truly one of the most ‘incredible’ Hulk comics written.

I’m pretty sure these were released last year and I never got around to showing them. Marvel 500 has lived up to their name so far by releasing quite a few characters and variants on characters. I’ve tried to collect them all that are related to the Hulk – that includes the Hulk’s rogues gallery. I can’t believe of all the characters that have died and came back we still live in a world where Hulk’s 2nd oldest foe is still among the deceased.

We can at least sigh in relief to the fact that A-Bomb is no longer. Cured during the too short Duggan run A-Bomb was reverted back to Rick Jones. I only hope Marvel will one day bring back the true Abomination. That and the real Hulk too…